







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Mike! You can't use people's stuff without asking! | |
| I don't know really, what's yours? | |
| Okay, who sings it? | |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | |
| The packets have 2 pieces in them. | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| I have one sister and she is nineteen. | |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | |
| Okay, what temperature do you want me to set it at? | |
| As they say, time is the best medicine. | |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | |
| Thank you, see you there on Saturday at 13:00. | |
| I've finally completed it and tomorrow is the big day! | |
| Maybe they prefer electric stoves in shared houses for safety reasons. | |
| His name's Sergio. | |
| Also, he has got a very lovely, cute dog. | |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | |